A number of sheets of paper covered with writing came out, and that was all. Ed did not need to understand Chinese to know how disgusted these two yellow scamps were. They gabbled on. One was about to throw the case overboard, but the other prevented him. This was the man with the revolver--he had put up his weapon now. "Get up," he said to Ed. "Can't," was the reply. The Chinaman soon settled that. Clutching the naked boy by the hair, he lifted him upon the seat and then thrust the papers upon him. "What dlese?" he demanded. "I can't see to read," growled Ed. The Chinaman settled that, too. Producing an electric flash lantern, he turned it on the papers. Ed now saw that these were pension rolls for the Albany district, dating back ten years. He was familiar with them, for his father, as we have said, was employed in the pension office and handled just such rolls. Ed tried to explain, and the Chinaman seemed to understand. "When you fishee dlis up you see noder box dlown dlere in water?" he demanded. "No," replied Ed. "Boy, you tellee big lie. Lookee out! Me shootee you! Me tlow you overboard--see?" Out came the revolver again. It looked as if the Chink meant what he said. We must confess that Ed might have held out a little longer. He gave right up, however, and admitted that there was another box. "Me knew it!" cried the Chinaman triumphantly. "Yair, dlat it. Him puttee plaper one box, money in noder box. Yair! Bad job you no blingee two blox up out of water. Yair." Ed was not so sure. He felt, however, that by holding out the possibility of recovering the other case he had saved his life. Perhaps it was so. The other Chink now picked up his oars and pulled steadily on. The two talked and talked. At length he of the revolver turned to Ed again. "Boy, you bully good swim," he said. "Me see you go down one, two, tlee time. Yair." "I can swim all right," growled Ed. "Yair. Dlat so. You swimee for me moller night?" "I suppose I shall have to if you wish me." "Yair. Me makee. Pow Chow him dlead. Me good flend you now allee light. You gettee box moller. Me givee you whole lot money--see?" Ed made no answer, not knowing what to say. Whether this angered the Chinaman or whether he intended to do it anyway, he suddenly pounced upon Ed and caught him by the throat. Holding him so with one hand, with the other he produced a little vial, drew the cork with his teeth and forced Ed to swallow a portion of the contents of the bottle. Probably it was knockout drops. At all events, in a few minutes Ed keeled over and knew no more. CHAPTER VII. THE FATE OF AN INFORMER. And after all these efforts the Bradys seemed to have accomplished nothing more than to find themselves with a dead Chinaman on their hands, besides the recovery of the cash. "What are we to do?" demanded Harry when at last they had finished their examination and talk.